


Lights, Camera, Run

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [18]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:33:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28418424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETETwo months after their mini-vacation, the Doctor and Rose feel stuck in terms of understanding their timeline. An SOS from a movie studio sends them, Donna, and Martha to investigate, and a lot happens that finally begins to shift things.“Feels like ages ago you helped us with the flux capacitor,” she hummed. Martha choked on her drink.“Sorry, what?” she asked. The Doctor smirked.“Back to the Future, I consulted,” he said simply. Rose rolled her eyes.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 6
Kudos: 131





	1. You are Cordially Invited...

Rose stood in the mirror, choosing between her hoop earrings or some thin, silver dangly ones, and fluttered her lips. She opted for the dangly ones, wondering if the Doctor would notice the difference, and then rolled her eyes because she already knew he of course he would. 

She was wearing a blue cocktail dress and a silver shawl that zig zagged across her back with thin straps, and a neckline that rested just below her collar bone. It was form fitting with plenty of spandex, just in case they had to run. 

She rolled her eyes again because she already knew of course they would. 

Martha and Donna were with them as well. It had been two months since he first shared the villa with her, and they had been dealing with a series of small hurdles and problems almost every day, and picked up their companions a week ago so they could have company and help. It had been a lovely two months, but somehow every single one of their adventures did nothing for them in terms of triggering a projection or helping them find the gem. 

The blueprint sat untouched on the Doctor’s desk in the library, and they felt stuck. But they were both taking it day by day, living in the here and now, and holding on tight. All things that made Rose’s heart flutter. 

They had just returned from a quiet visit to New Earth (Martha’s first trip) when a distress signal came from Earth in the year 2012. A movie studio was asking them to come attend a wrap party, and to dress up. There was an SOS at the end of the message, but no information on what was going wrong. 

Rose had initially wondered how the studio even knew about the TARDIS, let alone how to contact it, but then she remembered the Doctor had told her about all the consulting he had done over the years on a variety of science-fiction flicks. He told her, as they ran to their room to change, that he gave them the TARDIS’s communication signal and a transmitter if they ever needed him. 

It was the first time they had taken him up on it. 

She spritzed a bit of perfume on her wrists and stepped out of the ensuite, where the Doctor was sitting on their bed in his brown suit, white Oxford, and red tie. She smiled at him as he looked up at her, and he groaned. 

“What?” she asked. He just shook his head. 

“We have a potential universe shattering problem on our hands, Rose Tyler, and you’re going to wear that?” he said with a small smile. She felt her tongue dart to the corner of her mouth, fully aware of the effect she had on him, and just shrugged. 

“What’s wrong with blue?” she asked, a gleam in her eye. He just smiled and moved to her, wrapping his arms around her and planting small kisses on her jaw. She shuddered in the embrace, and he chuckled. She never missed a damn beat. 

“Nothing, I _really_ like the blue, actually,” he murmured, and she closed her eyes as he trailed more kisses along her jawbone and up to her lips. He let their tongues dance for a moment, and pulled away, rubbing his lips and savoring her taste. “Had to get that out of my system before I watch you save the world in this dress.” 

She swallowed a moan and tugged in his tie a little. He arched an eyebrow at her. “It’s crooked.” 

“No, it isn’t,” he said. Rose smiled seductively at him. 

“It’s in my way, then,” she whispered, and pulled the whole thing off in one go. He moaned her name as she undid the top button of his Oxford and let her tongue lap at his clavicle for a moment. 

“You’re voracious,” he said, gripping her waist. She bit down on the bone, and his breath hitched. 

“You started it,” she said. “And I also know for a fact Martha and Donna aren’t ready. If you promise not to mess up my hair -” 

“I promise,” he said quickly, and pushed her against the wall, catching her lips in a needy kiss. She laughed a little, head over heels as he slipped her underwear off of her and moved her to the dresser. It was their second one, they had already broken the first, and Rose cried out as he lifted her up onto it and eagerly kissed her again. She pulled on the bottom of his Oxford against the kiss, tugging it up, and he managed to undo his belt and trousers in seconds.

It was completely frantic and loads of fun, they both thought, and their minds connected just as their bodies did, and the Doctor couldn’t stop smiling as she moved around him. Her head flew back, and he wasted no time kissing her neck, and her right arm moved behind her to help hold herself up as they both felt the crescendo of thoughts of sensations run through their entire bodies. 

They were both screaming and groaning, unaware if the TARDIS put up a sound block or not, and neither cared. Rose saw a scatter of lights in her eyes when she forgot to breath, and he spilled into her with a surge of fiery love. Her fingernails dug into his shirt, and she gasped, her own tension releasing around him, and she collapsed against the wall. He looked at her with so much love in his eyes it made her heart skip a beat, and he kissed her again, this time slowly. 

“Wow,” she said and he just laughed. 

“I think that every time you look at me, Rose,” he said. She stared at him, and his cheeks turned a little pink, which made her smile widely. 

“I love you,” she said. 

“I love you, too,” he whispered. “I also love the earrings.” She smiled at him, and they heard the shuffling of feet outside their door, and they knew their companions were ready. With a final kiss, the Doctor separated himself from her and they both cleaned up quickly, ensuring that no one would be able to tell what they had just done. 

Donna knew. 

She didn’t say anything, but she had traveled enough with the happy couple to sense all the signs of their post-sex bliss. Rose always looked slightly dazed, and the Doctor always lingered longer when he looked at her. They were always a little more giggly than they usually were, and as they bounded into the console room she saw their hands try to stay at their sides and fail, and she just rolled her eyes. 

They gave her hope in the universe. 

“Anything we should know about 2012?” Martha asked, also suspicious of what might have just occurred behind closed doors but having no interest in knowing whether or not she was right.

“President Obama gets elected to a second term, the doomsday clock doesn’t happen, London Olympics, “ the Doctor began, sharing a glance with Rose, “Grumpy Cat is born…” 

“What?” Donna asked, and the Doctor just laughed and shrugged.

“Trust me, anything that happens this year probably won’t be brought up at the party, we’ll be fine,” he said. “You both look lovely, by the way.” 

They did. Donna stuck with a green dress, the color she knew always complimented her hair best, and Martha went with a classic black dress, very simple and spruced up with pearls. He held his hand out to Rose and moved to the door, where the world of Hollywood awaited. 

“Allons-y!” he shouted, and they stepped off all at once. They were clearly on a backlot, and Rose smirked when she realized he had bypassed all security efforts she was sure were in place, and he handed each of them a piece of psychic paper. They had all used them by now, and as they moved over to the entrance to the party, which was taking place on the studio’s backlot set of London ironically enough, all they had to do was flash their IDs and they were in without a problem. 

There was lots of dancing and celebrating, and Rose recognized a few actors who must have starred in whatever film this party was for. People were chatting and drinking, a DJ was playing music through speakers and the street was lit so brightly it felt like daytime, even though they all knew the stars rested above their heads. 

Not that they could see very many of them, the smog was blocking a good portion, and the Doctor just shook his head. Los Angeles doesn’t know half of the beauties in the night sky. 

They said hello to those who were kind enough to introduce themselves, but the Doctor’s eyes were peeled for someone in particular, the woman who sent the signal. They each grabbed a drink, and Martha and Donna were looking one way while Rose and the Doctor looked the other. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the crowd, still searching. 

“Doctor?” a voice said amidst the music and chatter. He turned, and a woman in her mid to late fifties was staring at him, wearing a long sparkly cocktail dress. Her brown hair, speckled with gray, was pulled up in a twist and she wore long earrings that almost touched her shoulders. He smiled at her. 

“Aura Forest,” he said. “Good to see you!” 

“So it is you?” she whispered. “I saw that...screwdriver, if I remember correctly, isn’t it? I just had to ask. You look so different.” 

He nodded and stepped aside a little, letting Rose step forward. “Little Time Lord trick. This is my wife, Rose, and our friends, Martha, and Donna.” 

“Wife? Wow. You’ve changed in many ways haven’t you?” Aura said with a slightly flirtatious smile. The comment rubbed Rose the wrong way, and the Doctor chose to ignore her, sipping on his champagne. “I’m Aura.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Rose said, smiling despite her irritation. She watched as the woman moved to shake Donna and Martha’s hand as well. When she stood back, she was still staring at the Doctor. 

“Feels like ages ago you helped us with the flux capacitor,” she hummed. Martha choked on her drink. 

“Sorry, what?” she asked. The Doctor smirked. 

“Back to the Future, I consulted,” he said simply. Rose rolled her eyes. She had heard this story after she returned from the parallel world. They had watched all three films in one night, and he never let her forget his most impressive contribution. She heard it again when he insisted on telling it to Pete, and again when he told it to Tony as a bedtime story one night. He surprised her when he didn’t elaborate this time, and she knew he was just eager to find out why Aura called. “I was rather touched, honestly, that you all made the effort to research time travel so thoroughly. Aura works in the props department.” 

Aura just laughed, and she licked her lips a little before she sipped her drink, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the Doctor. Rose tried to hide her emotions, but she felt a bit of the jealousy similar to how the Doctor felt with Hagley. He sensed it immediately and looked at her for a moment, shaking his head with a small smile as wrapped his arm around her waist. 

_Oh, please._

_What? She’s pretty._

_Rose._

He stared emphatically at her, and Rose let out a breath. 

_Did you ever...you know...travel with her?_

_No. Is this a Sarah Jane scenario, love?_

Rose just looked at her feet, annoyed with herself, and she bit her lip when she felt his arousal that she was a little jealous. Yes, they just had some brilliant sex, but he couldn’t help it. He just smiled and squeezed her hand. 

_No, I just...I mean...Oh shut up,_ she thought. 

He grinned at her. Aura was currently talking to Martha, and Donna could tell the lovebirds were having some conversation entirely in their own world. She rolled her eyes. 

_You are jealous!_

_Am not._

_You are!_

_What? You travel with a lot of women!_

_Correction, Rose Tyler - I traveled with some women. Wasn’t ever an intentional thing, mind you. And I never, ever, had a relationship with any of them._

_Not even the occasional kiss?_

_Nope. You took me completely off guard. I wasn’t prepared for you at all._

She bit her lip, and kissed him. He kissed her back, making his point with his tongue, and she was flushed when they separated. Aura had seen it and was suddenly looking at the Doctor much more professionally. Donna just shot him a look. She should start to take bets with Martha on how often she catches him kissing Rose with bedroom eyes in public settings. 

“So does this mean you got our signal?” Aura asked. The Doctor just nodded and she sighed. “Something...happened, and well...I’m sorry. I just couldn’t think of anyone else to call.” 

“What is it?” he asked. 

“I think it might be easier to just show you,” she said. “This party is pretty boring, and it’s been at the back of my mind this entire time, if you all would want to come now?”

The Doctor nodded, and locked eyes with all of his companions for a moment as they followed Aura.


	2. Trust Her Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of angst, but its for a reason!

They left all the spectacle of the backlot behind them as they moved toward the sound stages and offices. She was giving them all a proper tour of course, which they were delighting in, and eventually found themselves at the prop department, heading upstairs. Aura was visibly nervous and was beginning to speak faster and faster, telling them more about the films they were working on and what things would be used for. Against the wall to their right was a new shark for some updated version of _Jaws_ the studio was insisting on, buckets of fake blood for a horror project were on the ground, and Martha’s eyes were drawn to a large armoire that looked like it belonged in _Beauty and the Beast._

A large room behind that wall was sectioned off with caution and hazard tape, and the Doctor felt Rose squeeze his hand. 

_That can’t be good,_ she told him. He winked at her. 

Instincts. 

They approached a door with a triple lock, and she turned to them with a grim expression, “We can watch from the observation deck.” 

The Doctor looked at Rose, and followed Aura as she held the door open. Donna and Martha filled on the sides around them, and Aura shut the door, locking them inside. 

“As you can see, there’s been a bit of a problem,” Aura said. 

“That’s an understatement,” Rose whistled. Her hand was gripping the Doctor’s, and all four of them couldn’t tear their eyes off of what was before them. 

If Godzilla existed, it would be sprawled out on the grass of the testing field they were hovering over. It was sleeping, and its gray and scaly skin was reflecting the fluorescent lights from the room they had it secluded in, and it’s breathing was reverberating through the green blades. 

“What is it?” the Doctor asked. 

“It was a mistake,” Aura said. “We had this pretend crocodile in the shop so we could try and find a way to make upgrades. It’s for a new Peter Pan film. It was essentially audio-animatronic, something we could control...but...it came into contact with a foreign substance. And then this happened.” 

“Do you know what kind of substance?” Rose asked. Aura sighed. 

“It was a goo of some sort. I have no idea where it even came from. It was apparently sitting on the table above the crocodile. We walked in for work two days ago and there had been a spill, and the entire prop lab was destroyed. There are claw marks in the walls and we had to use six tranquilizer guns to get it into this field. It’s where we test explosions and things of that nature, so it’s perfectly safe and will keep it contained, but...we have no idea how to undo this,” she said. 

The Doctor’s brow was creased as he stared through the glass. They were thirty feet above and fifty feet back from the creature, and he knew they needed to get closer to figure out how to undo the mutation. If they could. 

None of it made sense, though. Rose said what he was thinking first, and he bit his cheek. 

She wasn’t Time Lady, but she sure as hell acted like it. 

“If it was robotic, a gene mutation would be impossible,” she said. “Can we go into the lab?” 

Aura stiffened, and Martha and Donna looked at each other carefully. 

“Look, I’m a doctor, too. Running tests on the chemical is a good place to start, Aura,” Martha said, and the Doctor felt a wave of pride for their newest and still meek companion. 

“Alright, if you think you need to,” she said. “You can’t tell anyone I let you in.” 

“Course not,” the Doctor assured her, and he followed them all back to the hallway and to the room with the caution tape. Aura pulled it back, and Rose and the Doctor reached for their sonic screwdrivers at the same time, immediately scanning the entire room. 

Rose frowned, and her eyes met her husband’s. There was a mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the air, and the room smelled of it too. 

“Oi, it’s like a pigsty in here,” Donna grimaced, and Aura nodded. 

“There was fertilizer in some plants the robot broke in its tyraid,” she said. “I’m sorry.” 

No one said anything, and they immediately noticed what Aura meant by claw marks. The walls were mere slivers of what they should be. Tables and shelves were shattered, wood was splintering in all directions. Paint was splashed across the floor, and other bits of gears and gadgets and accessories for a variety of different props were broken or lost in a sea of what could only be described as debris and shrapnel by this point. 

Rose moved toward the wall with the most indents in it, and saw a black goo of some sort drying on the molding on the ground. She bit her lip, and threw her shawl off her shoulders to rest her knees on it. 

The Doctor moved to her as well as Martha and Donna looked for more clues. 

“For once I don’t know what setting to use,” Rose joked, looking up at the Doctor as he deducted beside her. “I tried everything, nothing is coming back.” 

“It’s not you,” he said. “We need something more advanced than the screwdriver. The TARDIS could probably figure it out, but transporting it might be tricky. Don’t know how invasive or contagious it is,” he murmured. “In fact, stand up, just to be safe.” 

He helped her, his arms lingering on her elbows. She left her shawl on the ground and turned to look at Martha and Donna, who were bringing over some things that also had claw marks on them. “Could just be something it grabbed when it was trying to escape, but thought you should take a look,” Donna said as she handed them a piece of a cloth. Aura shook her head. 

“That was the blanket it was wrapped in,” she said. “Definitely something it ripped itself out of.” 

“Got it,” Martha said, and was about to toss it on the ground, but the Doctor stopped her. 

“Wait,” he said. “The goo or whatever is on the end. Don’t touch.” Rose grabbed a plastic bag that used to hold paint brushes and scooped the blanket into it, and the Doctor looked at Aura.”I have to run some tests on our ship. Can you take Rose, Martha, and Donna back to the creature? Rose will know what to do.” 

Martha smiled to herself, mouth closed, once again amazed at his faith in his wife. She had nothing but faith in Rose as well, but what she wouldn’t give for someone to look at her even a fraction of the way the Doctor looks at the golden woman before her. 

“Of course,” Aura said. “Come with me.” 

The Doctor kissed Rose and kept their minds open, and he bolted out of the room quickly, running to the TARDIS as fast as his Time Lord legs could carry him. Rose followed Aura with Donna and Martha at her side, and she was nibbling on her lip as they walked back through the triple locked doors. 

Aura watched them carefully, and sat at the desk at the back of the room. 

“Does it sleep often?” Rose asked. Aura nodded. 

“Yes,” she said. “Lots of tranquilizers.” 

“That can’t be good for it,” Donna said, but Aura just laughed. 

“It’s a robot,” she corrected, but Rose had her hands on the glass, staring intently at the creature as it breathed. 

“Not anymore…” she murmured, and Aura’s smile fell entirely. 

“I know the Doctor is some sort of alien. Are you?” she asked Rose, who turned to her and smiled. 

“No, I’m human. Just like you,” she said. Martha smirked, half tempted to say that she was human that glowed, but she didn’t. 

“How do you know, then?” Aura asked, a hint of challenge lined in her voice. Rose watched her, taking her in carefully, and could see she was terrified. Her words scared her, and she knew this woman didn’t know a thing about her. She didn’t trust her, not like she trusted the Doctor. 

Then again, all the Doctor really did was help them understand how to craft a flux capacitor that didn’t look dumb to the people who knew how time travel worked. She moved to her, sitting in the chair across from her. 

_Still very impressive,_ his voice rang in her head, and she bit her lip. She forgot he could hear her. 

“Whatever is in that goo changed it. Robots don’t just grow, you know that,” she said softly. “What kind of tranquilizers are you using?” 

Aura sighed. “They’re meant for humans.” 

“Exactly,” Rose whispered, smiling and trying to offer reassurance. “I need to go look at it.” 

“I can’t let you down there,” Aura said. Rose rubbed her lips together. 

“You said it sleeps a lot. I just need to talk to it. See what I can figure out,” she said. 

“What?!” Aura gasped, but Martha and Donna moved to the chairs next, sitting on the other edge of the table. 

“I would trust her, Aura,” Donna said. “She and the Doctor are two mad peas in a pod. It’s what he would do.” 

“We can have tranquilizers ready, and we can be ready to jump in if things get out of hand,” Martha added. Rose looked at her, wanting to say no, but she knew it was what Aura needed to hear. She looked at all three of them, her nerves absolutely eating away at her, but she nodded once. 

“Ten minutes,” Aura said. “Then we don’t do anything until the Doctor comes back.” 

_I’m gonna need at least an hour,_ he told Rose. 

_Oh don’t worry. Me too, she’ll deal with it._

“Aura,” Rose began, grabbing the woman’s hand. “Trust me.” 

And for some reason she didn’t understand, she did. They all watched as Rose moved to the lift behind a door to the left of the glass, and threw her heels on the ground, lowering herself to the field. 

_As good as apple grass?_ his voice sang in her ear, she smiled. 

_Is anything?_

It was soft against her feet, and she was glad she chose this dress again because she was able to move relatively quickly over to the creature. Her sonic screwdriver was out, and she kept her distance, scanning the air first. 

Carbon dioxide and oxygen. Excellent. The goo didn’t appear to be affecting the atmosphere. 

She could see cracks on the scales that rested on the back of the creature, and it was even larger than she realized when she got closer. Spikes were coming off of it’s back, and she stared at everything curiously, trying to understand how something goes from a crocodile robot to..this. 

_How’s the scan going?_

_Waiting for results._  


She continued to circle the creature, and she saw the tranquilizers all along its tail. Black goo was oozing out of the punctures, and she took a deep breath, moving to the creature’s face. 

It had to be close to twenty feet wide and was sleeping soundly, and it’s breath was like the wind against her hair, whipping it all around her face. She pulled it back into a ponytail and knelt down, staring at it. 

“I’m Rose,” she said. “My husband called you Godzilla, but that seems a little presumptuous to me.” It was a joke, and she could feel the Doctor’s eye roll through their minds. She smiled, and let out a breath. “What happened to you?” 

She stared at it for a moment longer, and looked up at the ceiling of the field. It was a metal cage, blocked off entirely from the world. Artificial sunlight was spilling onto them, but she knew it was dark outside, and her eyes trailed the grid where the stage lights rested. She looked back down at the creature, and moved her hand, touching its nose. 

It didn’t move. It felt rough and cold to her touch, like a reptile should, and she knew in that moment this thing was absolutely, inconsequentially, not a robot. She was right. She felt her heartbeat increase, and she walked back to the tail, biting her lip. 

_Can I touch the goo?_

_Why?_

_It looks like its...blood. Very thick blood._

_That would have shown up on the screwdrivers._

_Yeah, if it was human blood or a species we know, but this was a robot once. Don’t have a setting for that._

She could sense him thinking, but he put up a few blocks, likely because he was nervous and didn’t want her to feel it, but he lowered them again after a few moments. 

_Just be careful. Do you have gloves?_

She looked around and saw a phone on the wall by the lift. She moved to it, and called Donna and Martha. 

“What is it?” Donna asked. 

“I need Martha. Does she have any gloves on her from the hospital?” Rose asked. Martha had become accustomed to carrying some spare gear with her, and she could see them in the window talking for a moment, and Donna returned to the line. 

“She’s on her way,” she said. Two minutes later, Martha stepped off the lift and waited in between the doors, handing Rose a pair. She was holding a tranquilizer gun in her other hand. 

“Are you alright?” she asked. Rose nodded. 

“Just stay close for a sec, yeah?” she asked. Martha hummed something in agreement and Rose snapped the gloves over her hand, moving to the tail and kneeling down. She pressed her hand against the dripping goo, and pulled it away. She touched her pointer finger to her thumb and tried to pull them apart, but it was like having molasses between her fingers. It could be done, but it was harder than it needed to be. It was pitch black, too. She sniffed it. 

_Ugh, that’s tar,_ the Doctor said. 

_Yeah, its awful._

She was focused, and she saw Martha raise the gun, eyes wide. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

“It’s waking up!” she shouted, Rose stood immediately, keeping the gloves on and ran in between Martha and the creature. 

“Hand that to me,” she said, and Martha did without hesitation. “Go back to Donna, and don’t come down here unless I say, yeah?” Martha opened her mouth to protest, but Rose turned to her, her face hardened and stone as she has so often seen on the Doctor. “GO!” 

_What the hell are you doing?_

_Instincts._

_Rose -_

She sent him a wave of love and reassurance as she put her block up. Her ring began to pulse rapidly against her finger and she sighed. Sometimes he did well, and sometimes he got insanely nervous when their blocks went up, but she didn’t have time to dwell on that now. She knew he trusted her.

The creature’s eyes opened slowly, and its head began to roll against the grass. Rose saw its nose sniff, and she placed the gun on the ground, stepping away from it. She could hear pounding on the glass above her and knew it was Aura, but she ignored it. She pointed her screwdriver at the lift, temporarily blocking it from being able to be used. 

“You’re in pain, right?” she said. The creature was still moving and Rose steadied her feet, staring at it. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. My name is Rose.” 

It watched her carefully, and bowed its head. 

She heard the distinct sound of the TARDIS materializing behind her, and she felt her stomach flip over. The creature noticed it too and it began to make noise. Rose turned as the doors flew open and the Doctor ran out, grabbing Rose by the hand and dragging her inside, slamming the doors shut as he ran to the console, moving the TARDIS to the observation deck. 

“It wasn’t going to hurt me!” she yelled at him. He just looked at her, his breath a little shallow, and didn’t say anything. 

“Until that scan is done we have no way of knowing for sure,” he said after a moment. “Let’s go.” 

He was angry, she could sense it, but she suddenly was angry too. He had a habit of forgetting about her Instincts at times, especially when he panicked, but she chose to ignore her frustration and walked out the door with him. Martha and Donna were staring at them both, and Aura looked white as a ghost. 

“It’s awake,” she said. “It’s...never been awake.” 

“You’re torturing it aren’t you?” Rose said. “You don’t know what it is. It woke up in a strange body in a strange room, and tried to escape. I bet it made those claw marks because it was scared.” 

“It could also be because this is a strange reptilian robot, Rose,” the Doctor said coldly. Martha felt her head spin. She had never, ever, seen him be so distant with her. Rose just looked at him. 

“You, this thing you’re doing, snap out of it,” she said. And Donna had to turn around to stop the Doctor from seeing her smirk. 

“I’m not doing anything,” he protested, but Rose ignored him again and looked at Aura. 

“Have you fed it? Given it water or exercise or anything?” she asked. Aura just scoffed at her. 

“If it was a dog. But like you just said, we don’t know what it is,” she said. “Our only goal has been to contain it. If the execs found out -” 

“Oooooh so that’s what this is about?” Rose said. The Doctor bit his cheek despite their current frustration with each other. She sounded like him again. “Money? You can’t risk your secret getting out and your movie shut down?” 

Aura didn’t say anything, and the Doctor looked at Rose. He tried to slip his hand into hers but she pulled it back, shooting him another look. 

“Okay, what are we, Rose, eight years old?” he asked. She just raised an eyebrow at him. 

“You seem to be,” she said, and turned back to the TARDIS, opening to doors and leaving them ajar. He knew he was currently on her last nerve. There was a time, a year ago even, when he wouldn’t have understood why she was mad and would have just smiled and charmed her into forgiving him, but now they share three bonds. He knew she wanted him to trust her, and she felt like he didn’t. 

But of course he did. He also wanted her to understand he needed her safe, and shutting him out when she is in danger is...well…

His fear of losing Rose clouds his judgement, no matter how brilliant her Instincts are. 

He followed her onto the ship and sighed when he realized she had already gone to the med bay, and leaned against the doorway when he saw her staring at the screen waiting for the results with her arms crossed. Her hair was still in a ponytail, and her dangly earrings were shining against the light. Her blue dress clung to her, and he took a deep breath, so ridiculously in love with her even her irritation with him made him want to pull her close and never let go. 

She might slap him if he tried now, though, so he hung back and watched. 

“You gonna supervise me here, too?” she asked. He sighed. 

“I’m sorry I came and got you. I’m sure all would have been fine, but you locked me out,” he said. “Didn’t leave me much of a choice.” 

“You could have just trusted me,” she said. He clenched his jaw, and just as he was about to say something the screen flashed, and they had their answer. 

“Superorder Crocolydus venom…” the Doctor said, coming to stand behind Rose. “That’s from Lavatar.” 

Rose suddenly felt all her irritation dissipate, and she looked at him, her hazel galaxies locking with his chocolates. She bit her lip, refusing to break first, but the way he was looking at her suddenly was making her knees turn to jelly, and she gulped. 

Sometimes, she swore being in love with him gave her whiplash. 

He cupped his hand to her cheek, “How long are you going to stay with me?” he whispered, his mouth millimeters from hers. She shuddered as his breath touched her lips. 

“For-” she began to murmur, but the Doctor was once again fueled by his own hope and the joy that memory gave him that he couldn’t wait for her to finish the word. She laughed against the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck and he pressed her against the table, desperately tasting her. 

He pulled away after a few lingering moments, and smiled at her. 

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “What does it mean?” 

“It’s a mutation, definitely. Poisonous, but not to humans, luckily…” he ignored the look she gave him, reminding him her Instincts were right, “but somehow it manipulated the makeup of the robot…” he trailed off, somehow even more confused. 

“We need to see what was inside the robot before the tar got to it,” Rose mused, and the Doctor nodded. 

“Brilliant,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief when she let him take her hand this time.


	3. Boomtown

They returned to the console room, where everyone was waiting for them. Aura was standing by the door, her mouth open wide. The Doctor sighed. 

“Oh yeah, sorry, it’s bigger on the inside. I thought we had this conversation before?” he asked. Aura just stared. “No? Oh, that’s weird...I always tell people about -” 

“Doctor,” Rose said, ending his rant before it began. 

“Right,” he said, looking at Rose for a moment before turning back to Aura. “Do you have any renderings of the robot before all this happened? ” 

“Of course. Hold on,” she said, running out the door. Donna turned to them, and shot Rose a look, asking if he realized what an idiot he had been, and Rose just rolled her eyes, making Donna smile. 

They talked about the Doctor a lot with their eyes. 

“What?” he asked, noticing. They just started to laugh, and he shook his head. “Honestly, you two, its not funny.” 

“If you weren’t such a dumbo sometimes -” Donna said, and Martha just looked at all three of them. 

“Sorry, did I miss something?” she asked. Donna just laughed harder. 

“No, you didn’t,” the Doctor told her, failing to hide his own smile at the sound of Rose and Donna’s laughter. 

His little human family. 

Aura returned a minute later and handed a tablet to the Doctor. He looked through the vectorworks, and it clicked. “You used pneumatic actuators with a charcoal base?” he asked. Aura nodded, and the Doctor’s face broke out in a grin. “Ha!” 

He ran to the storage closet and pulled out a stun gun. “Won’t be able to undo it, I’m afraid. The tar you got is from Lavatar, sort of a dinosaur-end-of-the-world-fire planet, and the creatures there have charcoal in their bloodstream. So when the tar mixed with the base of the actuators -” 

“OH!” Rose exclaimed, a smile breaking out on her face too. Donna and Martha got it as well, and they felt relief that they at least new what was going on. Aura stared at all four of them. 

“How are you all so happy? That’s awful! If we can’t undo it it’s just going to sit there forever?” she shrieked, and the Doctor gave her a perplexed look. 

“Oh ye of little faith,” he said, slipping his hand back into Rose’s. “No. We’re going to use this to help it sleep again. Much, much kinder and less painful than those tranquilizers and then we’ll figure something out.” 

“Take it to Lavatar,” Rose added. “That’s where it belongs, now.” 

“Quite right,” he said with a smile, and their eyes danced for a moment. 

The moment was broken when they heard a loud bang, and they all ran out of the TARDIS and into the observation deck. Rose groaned. 

The creature had sliced its way through the walls of the field, and was pushing its body against it, trying to break it down and escape. Martha looked at Rose. “Can you use your energy and bring it here?” 

“I don’t want to scare it more,” she said, biting her lip. Aura wanted to ask what the hell they were talking about, but the creature managed to shatter the wall, and the entire infrastructure began to collapse. 

“IN THE TARDIS, NOW!” the Doctor shouted, and raced to the console. When he counted four humans he flipped the lever and they appeared outside the prop department on the soundstage for an old time western street. They Doctor and Rose ran out first, and they watched as the entire building fell with a huge puff of smoke and fire, the electrical grid going up in flames. 

“Oh, my god I’m so getting fired,” Aura said with wide eyes. Donna glared at her, and all of them started to hear screams from the party on the other side of the lot. 

“Let’s go,” the Doctor said, and they all ran. Rose was still barefoot and they moved quickly, trying to get where they needed to go. The creature was suddenly in the sky, and Rose realized the tar had affected it more than they realized. It wasn’t Godzilla, it was a bloody dragon. 

The scales she had seen earlier separated themselves and became wings, and the whole beast flew in the sky. “It’s gonna take out the entire city,” the Doctor said, deducting quickly in his head. 

“Doctor shoot it!” Aura shouted, but he shook his head. 

“It’s too far away,” he said, and they ran again, keeping their eyes up on the sky and trying to predict where the creature would land. People were still trying to escape, but they were far enough back no one even noticed them. Rose sighed. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, and the Doctor knew she was talking to the creature. She aimed a beam at it and wrapped it in gold light, pulling to the ground. It wiggled against her forcefully, and broke through the beam, knocking her back as it slid to a halt and crashed through the saloon set. The Doctor ran to Rose and helped her up. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” she said, dusting her dress off. The neckline had torn a bit, and she had a gash that was starting to bleed. 

“Rose -” he began, but she shook her head. 

“I’ll do it later,” she said, and started to run, her hand in his, as Martha and Donna followed. 

The Doctor had thrown the stun gun on the ground when Rose was hit, and Martha grabbed it. Donna was suddenly trapped as a tree fell that had been near the prop department, and fire separated them. The Doctor looked at Rose. 

“Take care of Martha? “ he asked. 

“Go get Donna,” she said, and they separated. She knew they needed to focus and she put their blocks up, thinking it would be helpful, but the Doctor hated not being able to hear her and he realized she had done it just as he heard an explosion behind him, and his entire world stopped. 

It all happened in slow motion.

He turned as he managed to pull Donna safely through the fire, just in time to see the roof of another set piece fall and head straight down toward Martha. Rose threw her out of the way, and didn’t look at him as she jumped into the rising dust and fire as the piece hit the ground. She was running toward the creature, the stun gun now in her hand. 

“ROSE, DON’T!” he shouted, and suddenly the entire set exploded again. He felt numb, and all he could do for a moment was stare until Donna grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the ground as pieces of the set flew over their heads, and he was starting to tremble. Martha was at their side a moment later, and he was still frozen. He nudged his mind to Rose. 

For a moment, nothing happened, and Donna and Martha shared a glance as the Doctor laid on his stomach motionless, staring at the fire. 

Then she let him in. 

_Sorry, had to stun it!_

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath of relief, but there was suddenly a storm brewing inside of him that he couldn’t understand, all he knew was he was desperate to get to her and he ran. Martha and Donna tried to pull him back but he flung himself off of them and glared. “She’s in there.” 

“Doctor -” Donna said, unaware that he knew she was alive, and she said his name again as he jumped into the fire too. 

He found her ten feet away from where the explosion was, getting ready to move the creature with the vortex. She was covered in mud and probably a little blood as well, and he clenched his jaw when he saw her smile at him. 

“What?” she asked. He didn’t say anything, but he pulled her to him immediately and gripped her tightly, too angry to speak. It hit her like a punch in the gut through their minds and she squeezed his hand. “Doctor, talk to me.” 

“Let’s just go,” he said, and stood close to her as she looked at him, her eyes trying to get a read on why he was acting this way. She was starting to grow increasingly frustrated too. 

“What is with you today?” she asked. He just shot her a look. 

“Can you just _please_ , for once, listen to me? Can we go now?” he said again, not interested in talking at the moment. She sighed and shot a beam, bringing the sleeping creature into the sky and back down to where the TARDIS was. He grabbed her hand and they moved away from the broken set and fire, and Rose was knocked back a little by Martha and Donna’s hugs, and she laughed. 

“What’s wrong with all of you?” she asked. 

“We thought you died!” Martha shouted, and Rose’s eyes met the Doctor’s over their shoulders. He darted his gaze away and sniffed, and for a moment it felt like it was two years ago and she had just asked him if she was supposed to stay in the parallel world forever. He was shattered. 

“No, oh my god...I’m so sorry. I caused the second explosion. I used the sonic, I needed to distract the creature so I could stun it,” she said. Donna just hugged her tighter and the Doctor looked down at his feet. 

“Well, I wasn’t told about that plan of yours now, was I?” he snapped. She just furrowed her brow. 

“Okay, wait a minute -” she began, but Aura suddenly ran up to them, completely stunned. 

“Are you alright?” she asked them, but no one said anything. The Doctor sniffed again. 

“Take care of yourself, Aura,” he said bitterly and moved wordlessly back toward the TARDIS. It was a fairly long walk, and Aura was left confused and staring at them as they moved away from her. When they approached the ship, the Doctor realized quickly she had expanded the size of the console room to fit the creature in the corner, and Rose used her energy to place it inside. She walked in after Martha and Donna, and while the Doctor took them to Lavatar she spent a few minutes healing herself, which left Martha and Donna gaping at her. The Doctor refused to watch, but he could feel everything. 

They needed to talk. 

She didn’t dare put up a block now, she had a feeling that’s where all of this was stemming from but he was boiling over in so many different emotions beneath his stoic and icy demeanor she couldn’t tell exactly what was bothering him. And she was getting more and more frustrated as well, because she only did what she did to save Martha and stop the creature. 

It’s exactly what he would have done. 

“That’s the problem,” the Doctor snapped, not meaning to say it out loud. Martha and Donna looked at him. Rose just waited, but he didn’t say more. 

“Sorry, what is he talking about?” Martha asked. Rose sighed. 

“It’s nothing,” she said. He raised his eyebrows at her. “Do you want to do this now?” 

He didn’t say anything, and they both felt the twist and turn of time stopping under their feet and she knew they arrived. She sighed, stepping off the ship and ignoring the sadness she felt that they were back here again and they were in a fight, and he seemed to feel the same way. He avoided looking at her as she brought the creature to the middle of the rocks, the pterodactyl-type creatures flying above their heads again, and she felt a lump in her throat. 

Martha and Donna sensed that something was very off between them, and they just bit their tongues and waited. It took a while, but soon the creature woke up and realized where it was, and with a cry of joy it flew into the air and joined the others. Rose felt tears spill over and she wiped them away. The Doctor, whose throat was also tight, finally looked at her. 

“Forever,” he whispered. 

“And ever,” she added, and he sighed.


	4. He Needs You

The entirety of the universe is at their disposal, and 85% of their problems come from Earth. 

The Doctor thought about this as he threw the door to the TARDIS open, and let Donna and Martha walk in first. Rose stood outside on the rocks with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at him. 

“I’m not coming onboard until we talk,” she said. The Doctor just looked at her. 

“I’m not talking in front of Donna and Martha,” he said slowly, and Donna just rolled her eyes. 

“Oi, idiots, I’m going to my room. Martha, are you going to yours?” she said, and Martha just nodded, a little nervous by the heat that was currently traveling between their two friends. 

Rose waited until Martha and Donna disappeared down the hall and then walked through the doors, moving past her husband silently and walking to the console. He stared at her as she brought them into the Vortex, the one set of coordinates she knew for sure, and pulled the lever. He sighed when he watched her pilot the ship and ran his hand through his hair. 

“I’m fine, you know that right?” she said. He just looked at her. 

“Yes,” he said. “It’s partly why I’m so angry.” 

His words sliced through her heart and she just furrowed her brow at him. “What the hell does that mean?” 

“It means that you’re getting a little careless. Doing things because you think you’re invincible. I know you’re strong, Rose. God, do I know it. I know you can do things others can’t -” 

“You mean things _you_ can’t do, right?” she said, interrupting him and leaning against the console. It was a low blow, but she was so unbelievably irritated they were having this conversation, especially after already going through one fight today, she couldn’t help it. He was panicking and deflecting and calling him out when she needed to had always been something she wasn’t afraid to do. 

Sometimes, she just had to yell. Sometimes it was too much. 

Donna and Martha left their rooms at the sound of their voices and sat in the hallway, watching, ready to step in if they needed to. 

“What?!” he asked incredulously, and Rose just groaned. 

“Well, isn’t it?” she asked. “My instincts mean I can anticipate things you can’t. And you just...conveniently forget about that when you want to, don’t you? The Vortex allows me to heal myself, something your body only does if you’re on the brink of death. And even then, it’s not healing. Not really. It’s dying, and don’t you dare tell me it isn’t -” 

“I wasn’t going to, but -” 

“Everything that you are dies and some new man saunters away... You said that to me once, Doctor. And now you’re mad because I can use both of these abilities of mine to weigh the potential hazards of a situation in a way that you can’t, right?” 

“No,” he said firmly, noticing the hot tears that were falling onto her cheeks. “Rose, no. It terrifies me, but it doesn’t -” 

“And you think it doesn’t terrify me?” she said, starting to yell a little louder. “Doctor, if you get hurt you regenerate. And I just...if the other option means I get hurt but then I heal myself and I’m okay versus you literally exploding before my eyes again -” 

“Oh, don’t do that, that’s not fair - ” the Doctor yelled back, and Martha and Donna looked at each other. Most couples fight about laundry… 

“What?!” Rose yelled, pushing her tears aside. They were standing on opposite sides of the room, Rose by the console and the Doctor still by the door, and he just groaned. 

“YOU CAN’T REGENERATE, ROSE!” he screamed. It was desperate, full of pain and anguish, and it stopped every bone in her body from moving even a little bit. “What happens if this ability of yours doesn't work? Just once is all it would take. What if the damage is too instantaneous and you can’t activate it in time? That’s what I thought was happening out there, you know that? Do you know what happens then? _You die_. I lose you. Forever. Do you see that?” 

“Doctor, my Instincts -” 

“Are just that, Rose! Instincts! They’re not fact! And I’ve seen a lot of things, and I know they’re incredible. They haven’t been wrong yet, I know, but I also know you are still human, and I’ve watched a lot of humans disappear in my time...I know that... that even with this ability you…” he broke off, his own tears falling onto his cheeks. “I believe in you. I trust you, but you shut me out _twice_ today. I don’t have your goddamn instincts, as you so kindly reminded me. I don’t know what to do when you don’t tell me what you’re thinking... I...” 

She stiffened, and realization came crashing down. She had locked him out to protect him and so they could focus, but that’s not what he needed. That wasn’t protecting him, it was punishing him. He needed her to let him in. 

Of course he did. 

Losing her was his greatest fear. She _knew_ this. But she had been so hurt that he was upset with her for doing what he would do that she never considered where he was coming from, and his tears were unraveling her quickly. 

She said his name is Gallifreyan quietly, aware that they were probably still being watched, and his eyes darted up to hers. She moved to him, catching him in a hug as he collapsed in her arms, gripping her so closely it was a little hard to breathe. “I’m so sorry.” 

He couldn’t say anything for a moment, but he kissed her forehead. When he finally controlled himself a little, he pulled away just enough to look at her, and cupped his hands around her cheeks. 

“I’m not saying don’t listen to your Instincts. I’m not. We need them. I’m just...I’m begging you, Rose, to just be a little more careful. To not always be the first one to jump sometimes. To let me in,” he whispered. “Please.” 

She sighed, and placed her hands over his. “My Instincts won’t tell me to do something that will get me killed, Doctor.” 

“You don’t know that,” he said.

“Maybe not,” she said. “Or maybe I do. I dunno...Call it an Instinct.” 

He shook his head at her, and his eyes traced every feature of her face, committing it to memory for the millionth time. “Please.” 

His voice was broken, and Rose chewed on the inside of her lip. “I promise to be more careful.” 

“Thank you,” he said. “You’re worth regenerating for, Rose.” 

“And you’re worth protecting with all I have,” she whispered. He stared at her, and Rose sighed. “I didn’t mean what I said about me doing things you can’t. I was angry.” 

“I know,” he said. “Are you still angry?” 

“A little,” she admitted. “More...frustrated, than angry.” 

“Me too,” he said, and their eyes locked. Rose just nodded. 

“I’m gonna go take a bath, then. Get all this mud off. I think Martha and Donna are in the hallway, if you want to make sure they’re okay?” she asked. He didn’t want her to leave, but he knew she needed space and this was her kind way of telling him she wanted to process a bit before they talked more. They had enough arguments and close calls over the years to recognize that, but he needed her to know he loved her, so he kissed her for a moment before she pulled away and silently moved to the ensuite, ignoring the shuffling of feet as Martha and Donna tried to hide. 

“Oh just come out here,” the Doctor called, and they sheepishly stood in the doorway, looking down at their feet. 

“We just wanted to be here if you needed us,” Martha told him. He sighed. 

“It’s fine.”

“You alright?” Donna asked. He avoided their gaze and clenched his jaw, the threat of new tears knocking against his hearts. “Want us to leave?” 

“That’d be good,” he whispered. Martha turned away and left without a word, but Donna hung back for a moment and watched him fiddle with wires. “What?” 

“For what it’s worth, for once I agree with you,” she said. She began to walk to the hall and the Doctor sighed. 

“Donna, wait,” he said, and she turned to face him. “Are you both alright?” 

“Yeah,” she said. “I think Martha’s still a little confused, and I just think you two need to talk.” He didn’t say anything, and she leaned against the doorway. “Can you honestly be surprised? It’s Rose.” 

“I know,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “She wants to be left alone right now.” 

“Then leave her alone. Get your thoughts together,” Donna instructed. “It’s kind of an incredible thing when you think about it. You two love each other so much you fight over who is more likely to die for the other one. Most people are lucky if they get a partner who won’t cheat on them. Or poison them and use them to help an alien invasion.” 

Donna shrugged as she slipped back into the hall, and the Doctor let the fresh tears slide down his face. He wiped them away quickly and moved to the library, finding himself next to the hidden section, and flipped the shelf. He watched as the books from his home appeared, and he sat on the floor, opening up the one about regenerations. 

He was lost in reading, and he didn’t realize hours had passed when Rose suddenly stood before him wearing his blue Oxford and some gray socks. “Hello,” she murmured. He looked up, his hair a wild mess and his eyes red and a little swollen. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her. 

“I love you,” he said immediately, and she felt her throat tighten. She sat down next to him, linking their fingers together and resting her head on his shoulder. 

“I love you so much,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.” 

He nodded and kissed her forehead, “How was your bath?” 

“Lonely,” she said with a small smile. He kissed her again and Rose closed her eyes, breathing in his Christmas scent. “What are you reading?” 

He handed the book to her and she sat up against the bookshelves, her fingers dancing on the swirls and patterns on the spine. “I wanted to try and find something in here that I’ve never done, but I remember being told about once... I just...needed a refresher.” 

“Is this book about regenerating?” she asked, recognizing the word on the cover. He nodded. 

“Remember my hand?” he asked. 

“From the Sycorax?” she asked. “Of course.” 

“I was able to heal myself that way because I was in the first 15 hours of my regeneration. And I looked it up, and if something happens to me, whether it’s from an accident or old age or whatever, that part doesn’t matter, point is the next time I start to burn Artron Energy and start to regenerate...there’s a way for me to heal this body in a similar way. I won’t have to change,” he said softly. She looked at him carefully, closing the book and resting it in her lap. 

“What?” she asked. He nodded. 

“I’ve never done it before. I’ve always been ready for something new. But I said it before, Rose...As long as you and I have, I want it to be me and you just the way we are. I have absolutely no desire to be anyone but the man in the body that was made for you. Not while you’re here. So if something happens to me...I promise I will do everything in my power not to change. Does that...I mean…” he trailed off, and sighed. She brought her hand into his hair and began to rub lightly, brushing it back off his forehead. 

“Is it painful?” she whispered. He just laughed a little. 

“It’s always painful. It hurts when you heal yourself doesn't it?” he asked. She just nodded. “It would be more painful to lose you, trust me.” 

His words knocked the wind out of her and she bit her lip to stop it from trembling. “I would never leave you. If you did change. I love you no matter what.... I’m so sorry I made you think that,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. He shook his head, pressing it against the shelf. 

“You didn’t,” he told her. “That’s not what I meant. I know that, Rose, I do...I meant... We’re both just too bloody stubborn, honestly. I meant watching you sacrifice yourself because you don’t want me to have to have to sacrifice myself first...To... die. I’m telling you I don’t have to.”

She stared at him. “Really?” 

“Really,” he said. “So if I promise to do this if I need to, do you promise...at the very least, to keep your mind open before you jump into fire or face off with an unknown enemy so I know you’re alright?” 

“Of course,” she whispered. She felt his arms circle around her. “I promise to be careful, too. I do. It’s just...my Instincts told me to look into the heart of the TARDIS in the first place. They’ve always helped me protect you and others. And I always want you safe.” 

He closed his eyes, and pulled her a little closer to him. “Impossible human.” 

“What?” she asked, and he just sighed. 

“That’s what I call you in my head sometimes when you can’t hear. My impossible human,” he told her, and she just smiled. 

“I am yours,” she said. “Always have been.” 

“Yeah,” he hummed, kissing her. It was slow, and soft, and his tongue barely brushed against hers. She sighed at his touch, and nudged his mind. He whimpered a little when he felt her there, and she deepened the kiss. He pulled back, pulling her onto his lap so her legs dangled over his and hugged her tightly. 

“How are they?” she asked. The Doctor shrugged. 

“They’re fine. We should drop them off I think, though,” he said. She nodded. 

“Okay.” 

She sniffed, and pulled away from him, wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks. She grabbed the book he was looking at and went to put it back on the shelf, but her socks were a little slippery and she dropped it on her way up, grabbing onto a shelf to stop herself from sliding. He caught her too, and she just smiled a little at him. 

They both turned to grab the book again, but it had fallen open to a page toward the back the Doctor had never seen before. 

The red gem was drawn in the middle of the page, stuck on the outside of a large metal box. 

“Oh, my god…” Rose said, and she collapsed to her knees beside the Doctor, who was already sliding the book back toward them. 

Rose, still learning Gallifreyan, could only understand a portion of what the page was saying. She could tell it was talking about the use of the gem in extenuating circumstances, and the Doctor’s brow was narrow and creased. 

Rose read what she could, and she looked at him. He had stopped breathing, she could tell, and was currently relying on his respiratory bypass. 

“What is it?” she asked. His blocks naturally went up when he thought this hard, and he looked at her slowly. 

“I think…” he whispered. “Hold on.” 

He moved to the stairs, bolting down in one swift motion and returned a few moments later, holding the half of the blueprint they found in this spot a few months ago. 

He held it up to the page, and the bottom portion of the gem looked like it belonged in the middle of the half he had. He felt panic begin to rise a little, and he moved to the shelf again, pulling down another book about Time Lord technology and throwing it open on the floor. Rose watched, and he worked vigorously. 

How had he not seen this before?

This blueprint was a warning, he could feel it in his bones. 

“If it’s what I think it is…” he whispered. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Then someone might have stowed away before the war,” he whispered. “I read this book so many times. I tried to find solace in it and I….I’m an idiot. I forgot. This gem, in addition to holding the sanctity of time in its crevices, can be used to open a box. A Time Lord hibernation chamber…” 

He flipped the book to her, and she stared at the image of the chamber. It was the same image that was in the book about regenerations.They were connected, somehow, and she felt the wheels in her head turn. “What are you saying? Someone went to sleep before the war and needs this gem to wake back up?” she asked. He just looked at her. 

“Possibly,” he whispered. She felt his hearts pound in his chest through her ring, and hers began to mirror the pace. “And if it’s true, well...then I have a feeling they might be on Earth.” 

“Is that a bad thing?” Rose asked. The Doctor pondered, and just clenched his jaw. 

“Depends on who it is,” he said. 

“Okay, but...Matt and Ridgemont Entities can’t possibly know or understand all that, can they?” she asked. He shook his head. 

“Mr. Warp Drive Booster? No, not a chance…” he murmured. ”Think with me?” 

She nodded and looked back down at the book, gripping his hand tightly. For a moment, their argument was entirely forgotten about. 

“Doctor, what if someone gets a hold of it…” she began, but he shook his head. 

“They’d need this book to figure it out. Trust me, no one but us will be able to use it,” he said. Rose nibbled on her thumb and leaned against the bookcase, staring at the picture of the hibernation chamber. 

“But it just doesn’t make sense,” she murmured. “Someone else must know what the gem can do and wants whoever is in the chamber to be woken up. Someone is using Ridgemont Entities…” she trailed off, biting her lip. He looked at her, and sighed, his father’s words ringing in his ears. 

This timeline is hidden to him. And he was getting angry again. 

“Not till the clock is properly wound…” he muttered. “Honestly, screw my father.” 

“You don’t mean that,” she said flatly, but he just groaned and ran his hand through his hair. 

“I’m sorry, Rose, it’s just frustrating. It’s been months. We’re living on the edge of our seats waiting for this bloody timeline to unfold and getting little clues that don’t actually tell us if we’re on the right track or how much is left to figure out or what. I’m tired of it and I just wish for once he would just tell me something,” he spat. She traced her tongue with the corner of her mouth and looked back down at the book again, closing it. 

“You need to sleep,” she said. “Come on.” 

She stood up and held her hand out, and he just looked at it for a moment. “I’m fine.” 

“It’s been a long day, and _this_ is getting to you in ways you and I both know it normally wouldn’t. Come on,” she said, grabbing his hand and helping him up. His eyes were itchy and dry and his head was throbbing, and he knew Rose could sense it all. He nodded. 

“Okay,” he said softly, and he put the book back on the shelf, scanning the texts and making them disappear again before he walked with Rose to their room. 

He didn’t sleep. 

Rose didn’t either, but they both tried. 

His arms were wrapped around her, and his mind was still racing two hours later. She was playing with the clock around her neck, her fingers tracing the script, and she sighed. 

“We’ll figure it out,” she said. The words shattered his bubble of thoughts and he snapped his attention to her immediately, pressing his lips to her forehead. 

“I hope so,” he said. She bit her lip. 

“We’ve come this far, we will…” she began. He just rubbed her hair and she sighed. “Doctor, I think you’re panicking a little,” she said. “It’s my fault.” 

“No, Rose -” he said, but she shook her head and sighed. 

“I hurt you today. I...I know I made a mistake shutting you out like that. It was stupid and careless and I’m so sorry. It makes sense that it’s...triggering you a little. I know you well enough to know what’s going on in that big Time Lord head of yours,” she whispered, shifting in his arms so she was facing him. He just looked at her, and traced his fingers on her cheek. 

“I just can’t lose you,” he said, “It’s unfathomable to me.” 

“I know,” she said. “You won’t.” 

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she murmured. She pressed her lips to his neck, and he closed his eyes. They opened their minds, allowing their love to seep between them and stitch the wounds of the day. 

A wave of realization crashed over them both, and their eyes turned to each other, both beginning to smile, and the Doctor rolled his eyes. “I should have known,” he teased, and Rose just chuckled. 

“It makes sense. We don’t fight, really. Not anymore,” she said. He hummed in agreement. 

They had realized that if they hadn’t argued the Doctor would never have read up on regenerations. He hadn’t opened that book since his third one, didn’t think he needed to, but... he did to try and find a way to help _her_ , his perfect, pink, yellow, and gold human, and they found the hibernation chamber buried in its pages. 

The clock was getting properly wound when they didn’t even realize it. The timeline was unfolding, and they were just along for the ride. He sighed. “If we follow the right path, whatever is supposed to take place...will,” Rose whispered. “A wise man once said that to me.” 

He smirked and squeezed her to him. “I love you, Rose.” 

“I love you, too,” she said. And at last, with a sense of hope that they were doing exactly what they were supposed to be after two months of silence, they fell asleep.


End file.
